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Lo HH, Chang HC, Wu YJ, Liao CT, Hsiao YM. Functional characterization and transcriptional analysis of degQ of Xanthomonas campestris pathovar campestris. J Basic Microbiol 2024; 64:e2300441. [PMID: 38470163 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202300441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
High-temperature-requirement protein A (HtrA) family proteins play important roles in controlling protein quality and are recognized as virulence factors in numerous animal and human bacterial pathogens. The role of HtrA family proteins in plant pathogens remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the HtrA family protein, DegQ, in the crucifer black rot pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pathovar campestris (Xcc). DegQ is essential for bacterial attachment and full virulence of Xcc. Moreover, the degQ mutant strain showed increased sensitivity to heat treatment and sodium dodecyl sulfate. Expressing the intact degQ gene in trans in the degQ mutant could reverse the observed phenotypic changes. In addition, we demonstrated that the DegQ protein exhibited chaperone-like activity. Transcriptional analysis displayed that degQ expression was induced under heat treatment. Our results contribute to understanding the function and expression of DegQ of Xcc for the first time and provide a novel perspective about HtrA family proteins in plant pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsueh-Hsia Lo
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hsiao-Ching Chang
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Jyun Wu
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Tsai Liao
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Min Hsiao
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan
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2
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Cohen-Gihon I, Zaide G, Amit S, Zohar I, Schwartz O, Maor Y, Israeli O, Bilinsky G, Israeli M, Lazar S, Gur D, Aftalion M, Zvi A, Beth-Din A, Bar-Haim E, Elia U, Cohen O, Mamroud E, Chitlaru T. Genome sequence of two novel virulent clinical strains of Burkholderia pseudomallei isolated from acute melioidosis cases imported to Israel from India and Thailand. BMC Genom Data 2024; 25:47. [PMID: 38783201 PMCID: PMC11118722 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-024-01225-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Burkholderia pseudomallei, the etiological cause of melioidosis, is a soil saprophyte endemic in South-East Asia, where it constitutes a public health concern of high-priority. Melioidosis cases are sporadically identified in nonendemic areas, usually associated with travelers or import of goods from endemic regions. Due to extensive intercontinental traveling and the anticipated climate change-associated alterations of the soil bacterial flora, there is an increasing concern for inadvertent establishment of novel endemic areas, which may expand the global burden of melioidosis. Rapid diagnosis, isolation and characterization of B. pseudomallei isolates is therefore of utmost importance particularly in non-endemic locations. DATA DESCRIPTION We report the genome sequences of two novel clinical isolates (MWH2021 and MST2022) of B. pseudomallei identified in distinct acute cases of melioidosis diagnosed in two individuals arriving to Israel from India and Thailand, respectively. The data includes preliminary genetic analysis of the genomes determining their phylogenetic classification in rapport to the genomes of 131 B. pseudomallei strains documented in the NCBI database. Inspection of the genomic data revealed the presence or absence of loci encoding for several documented virulence determinants involved in the molecular pathogenesis of melioidosis. Virulence analysis in murine models of acute or chronic melioidosis established that both strains belong to the highly virulent class of B. pseudomalleii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inbar Cohen-Gihon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Galia Zaide
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Sharon Amit
- Clinical Microbiology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Iris Zohar
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Infectious Disease Unit, Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel
| | - Orna Schwartz
- Microbiology and Immunology Laboratory Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel
| | - Yasmin Maor
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Infectious Disease Unit, Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel
| | - Ofir Israeli
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Gal Bilinsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ma'ayan Israeli
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Shirley Lazar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - David Gur
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Moshe Aftalion
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Anat Zvi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Adi Beth-Din
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Erez Bar-Haim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Uri Elia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ofer Cohen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Emanuelle Mamroud
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Theodor Chitlaru
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel.
- Faculty of Digital Technologies in Medicine, Holon Institute of Technology, Holon, Israel.
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3
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Zhai LN, Zhao Y, Song XL, Qin TT, Zhang ZJ, Wang JZ, Sui CY, Zhang LL, Lv M, Hu LF, Zhou DS, Fang TY, Yang WH, Wang YC. Inhalable vaccine of bacterial culture supernatant extract mediates protection against fatal pulmonary anthrax. Emerg Microbes Infect 2023; 12:2191741. [PMID: 36920800 PMCID: PMC10071900 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2191741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
AbstractPulmonary anthrax is the most fatal clinical form of anthrax and currently available injectable vaccines do not provide adequate protection against it. Hence, next-generation vaccines that effectively induce immunity against pulmonary anthrax are urgently needed. In the present study, we prepared an attenuated and low protease activity Bacillus anthracis strain A16R-5.1 by deleting five of its extracellular protease activity-associated genes and its lef gene through the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system. This mutant strain was then used to formulate a lethal toxin (LeTx)-free culture supernatant extract (CSE) anthrax vaccine,of which half was protective antigen (PA). We generated liquid, powder, and powder reconstituted formulations that could be delivered by aerosolized intratracheal inoculation. All of them induced strong humoral, cellular, and mucosal immune responses. The vaccines also produced LeTx neutralizing antibodies and conferred full protection against the lethal aerosol challenges of B. anthracis Pasteur II spores in mice. Compared to the recombinant PA vaccine, the CSE anthrax vaccine with equal PA content provided superior immunoprotection against pulmonary anthrax. The preceding results suggest that the CSE anthrax vaccine developed herein is suitable and scalable for use in inhalational immunization against pulmonary anthrax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Na Zhai
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.,State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China.,Basic medical college, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou 550004, China
| | - Xiao-Lin Song
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Tong-Tong Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Zhi-Jun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Jia-Zhen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Cheng-Yu Sui
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Li-Li Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Meng Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Ling-Fei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Dong-Sheng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Tong-Yu Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Wen-Hui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Yan-Chun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing 100071, China
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Role of serine/threonine protein phosphatase PrpN in the life cycle of Bacillus anthracis. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010729. [PMID: 35913993 PMCID: PMC9371265 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Reversible protein phosphorylation at serine/threonine residues is one of the most common protein modifications, widely observed in all kingdoms of life. The catalysts controlling this modification are specific serine/threonine kinases and phosphatases that modulate various cellular pathways ranging from growth to cellular death. Genome sequencing and various omics studies have led to the identification of numerous serine/threonine kinases and cognate phosphatases, yet the physiological relevance of many of these proteins remain enigmatic. In Bacillus anthracis, only one ser/thr phosphatase, PrpC, has been functionally characterized; it was reported to be non-essential for bacterial growth and survival. In the present study, we characterized another ser/thr phosphatase (PrpN) of B. anthracis by various structural and functional approaches. To examine its physiological relevance in B. anthracis, a null mutant strain of prpN was generated and shown to have defects in sporulation and reduced synthesis of toxins (PA and LF) and the toxin activator protein AtxA. We also identified CodY, a global transcriptional regulator, as a target of PrpN and ser/thr kinase PrkC. CodY phosphorylation strongly controlled its binding to the promoter region of atxA, as shown using phosphomimetic and phosphoablative mutants. In nutshell, the present study reports phosphorylation-mediated regulation of CodY activity in the context of anthrax toxin synthesis in B. anthracis by a previously uncharacterized ser/thr protein phosphatase–PrpN. Reversible protein phosphorylation at specific ser/thr residues causes conformational changes in the protein structure, thereby modulating its cellular activity. In B. anthracis, though the role of ser/thr phosphorylation is implicated in various cellular pathways including pathogenesis, till date only one STP (PrpC) has been functionally characterized. This manuscript reports functional characterization of another STP (PrpN) in B. anthracis and with the aid of a null mutant strain (BAS ΔprpN) we provide important insight regarding the role of PrpN in the life cycle of B. anthracis. We have also identified the global transcriptional regulator, CodY as a target of PrpN and PrkC, and for the first time showed the physiological relevance of CodY phosphorylation status in the regulation of anthrax toxin synthesis.
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Paudel A, Furuta Y, Higashi H. Silkworm model for Bacillus anthracis infection and virulence determination. Virulence 2021; 12:2285-2295. [PMID: 34490836 PMCID: PMC8425766 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1965830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus anthracis is an obligate pathogen and a causative agent of anthrax. Its major virulence factors are plasmid-coded; however, recent studies have revealed chromosome-encoded virulence factors, indicating that the current understanding of its virulence mechanism is elusive and needs further investigation. In this study, we established a silkworm (Bombyx mori) infection model of B. anthracis. We showed that silkworms were killed by B. anthracis Sterne and cured of the infection when administered with antibiotics. We quantitatively determined the lethal dose of the bacteria that kills 50% larvae and effective doses of antibiotics that cure 50% infected larvae. Furthermore, we demonstrated that B. anthracis mutants with disruption in virulence genes such as pagA, lef, and atxA had attenuated silkworm-killing ability and reduced colonization in silkworm hemolymph. The silkworm infection model established in this study can be utilized in large-scale infection experiments to identify novel virulence determinants and develop novel therapeutic options against B. anthracis infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atmika Paudel
- Division of Infection and Immunity, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Furuta
- Division of Infection and Immunity, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Hideaki Higashi
- Division of Infection and Immunity, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
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Mappa C, Pible O, Armengaud J, Alpha-Bazin B. Assessing the ratio of Bacillus spores and vegetative cells by shotgun proteomics. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:25107-25115. [PMID: 30302730 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-3341-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Mass spectrometry for rapid identification of microorganisms is expanding over the last years because this approach is quick. This methodology provides a decisive interest to fight against bioterrorism as it is applicable whatever the pathogen to be considered and often allows subtyping which may be crucial for confirming a massive and widespread attack with biological agents. Here, we present a methodology based on next-generation proteomics and tandem mass spectrometry for discovering numerous protein biomarkers allowing the discrimination of spores and vegetative cells of Bacillus atrophaeus, a biowarfare simulant. We propose a global quantitative evaluation of the two groups of discriminant biomarkers based on their aggregated normalized spectral abundance factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Mappa
- Laboratoire Innovations technologiques pour la Détection et le Diagnostic (Li2D), Service de Pharmacologie et Immunoanalyse (SPI), CEA, INRA, 30207, Bagnols sur Cèze, France
| | - Olivier Pible
- Laboratoire Innovations technologiques pour la Détection et le Diagnostic (Li2D), Service de Pharmacologie et Immunoanalyse (SPI), CEA, INRA, 30207, Bagnols sur Cèze, France
| | - Jean Armengaud
- Laboratoire Innovations technologiques pour la Détection et le Diagnostic (Li2D), Service de Pharmacologie et Immunoanalyse (SPI), CEA, INRA, 30207, Bagnols sur Cèze, France.
| | - Béatrice Alpha-Bazin
- Laboratoire Innovations technologiques pour la Détection et le Diagnostic (Li2D), Service de Pharmacologie et Immunoanalyse (SPI), CEA, INRA, 30207, Bagnols sur Cèze, France
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7
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HtrA family proteases of bacterial pathogens: pros and cons for their therapeutic use. Clin Microbiol Infect 2021; 27:559-564. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2020.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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8
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Zaide G, Elia U, Cohen-Gihon I, Israeli M, Rotem S, Israeli O, Ehrlich S, Cohen H, Lazar S, Beth-Din A, Shafferman A, Zvi A, Cohen O, Chitlaru T. Comparative Analysis of the Global Transcriptomic Response to Oxidative Stress of Bacillus anthracis htrA-Disrupted and Parental Wild Type Strains. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8121896. [PMID: 33265965 PMCID: PMC7760947 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8121896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that the HtrA (High Temperature Requirement A) protease/chaperone active in the quality control of protein synthesis, represents an important virulence determinant of Bacillus anthracis. Virulence attenuation of htrA-disrupted Bacillus anthracis strains was attributed to susceptibility of ΔhtrA strains to stress insults, as evidenced by affected growth under various stress conditions. Here, we report a comparative RNA-seq transcriptomic study generating a database of differentially expressed genes in the B. anthracishtrA-disrupted and wild type parental strains under oxidative stress. The study demonstrates that, apart from protease and chaperone activities, HtrA exerts a regulatory role influencing expression of more than 1000 genes under stress. Functional analysis of groups or individual genes exhibiting strain-specific modulation, evidenced (i) massive downregulation in the ΔhtrA and upregulation in the WT strains of various transcriptional regulators, (ii) downregulation of translation processes in the WT strain, and (iii) downregulation of metal ion binding functions and upregulation of sporulation-associated functions in the ΔhtrA strain. These modulated functions are extensively discussed. Fifteen genes uniquely upregulated in the wild type strain were further interrogated for their modulation in response to other stress regimens. Overexpression of one of these genes, encoding for MazG (a nucleoside triphosphate pyrophosphohydrolase involved in various stress responses in other bacteria), in the ΔhtrA strain resulted in partial alleviation of the H2O2-sensitive phenotype.
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9
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Transcriptome Sequencing Data of Bacillus anthracis Vollum Δ htrA and Its Parental Strain, Isolated under Oxidative Stress. Microbiol Resour Announc 2020; 9:9/35/e00618-20. [PMID: 32855245 PMCID: PMC7453281 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00618-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The high-temperature requirement chaperone/protease (HtrA) is involved in the stress response of the anthrax-causing pathogen Bacillus anthracis. Resilience to oxidative stress is essential for the manifestation of B. anthracis pathogenicity. Here, we announce transcriptome data sets detailing global gene expression in B. anthracis wild-type and htrA-disrupted strains following H2O2-induced oxidative stress. The high-temperature requirement chaperone/protease (HtrA) is involved in the stress response of the anthrax-causing pathogen Bacillus anthracis. Resilience to oxidative stress is essential for the manifestation of B. anthracis pathogenicity. Here, we announce transcriptome data sets detailing global gene expression in B. anthracis wild-type and htrA-disrupted strains following H2O2-induced oxidative stress.
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Manish M, Verma S, Kandari D, Kulshreshtha P, Singh S, Bhatnagar R. Anthrax prevention through vaccine and post-exposure therapy. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2020; 20:1405-1425. [DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2020.1801626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Manish Manish
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Shashikala Verma
- Centre of Experimental Medicine & Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Divya Kandari
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Parul Kulshreshtha
- Department of Zoology, Shivaji College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Samer Singh
- Centre of Experimental Medicine & Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Rakesh Bhatnagar
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
- Centre of Experimental Medicine & Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
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Early Diagnosis of Pathogen Infection by Cell-Based Activation Immunoassay. Cells 2019; 8:cells8090952. [PMID: 31443439 PMCID: PMC6769711 DOI: 10.3390/cells8090952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Diagnostic identification of pathogens is usually accomplished by isolation of the pathogen or its substances, and should correlate with the time and site of infection. Alternatively, immunoassays such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests for quantification of serum antibodies are expedient and are usually employed for retrospective diagnostic of a particular infective agent. Here, the potential of cell-based immunoassays for early pathogen detection was evaluated by quantification of specific, antigen-activated, low-frequency IFNγ-secreting cells in mouse spleens following infection with various pathogens. Using enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assays, specific responses were observed within 3–6 days following infection with F. tularensis, B. anthracis, Y. pestis, or Influenza virus. Blood samples collected from F. tularensis-infected mice revealed the presence of IFNγ-producing activated cells within one week post infection. When non-human primates were infected with B. anthracis, cellular response was observed in peripheral blood samples as early as five days post infection, 3–5 days earlier than serum antibodies. Finally, the expression pattern of genes in splenocytes of F. tularensis-infected mice was inspected by a transcriptomic approach, enabling the identification of potential host targets for the future development of genetic-based cellular immunoassays. Altogether, the data demonstrate the potential of cell-based immunoassays for early pathogen detection.
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12
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Draft Genome Sequence of a Rare Israeli Clinical Isolate of Burkholderia pseudomallei. Microbiol Resour Announc 2019; 8:8/19/e00281-19. [PMID: 31072902 PMCID: PMC6509527 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00281-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
We report here the draft genome sequence of Burkholderia pseudomallei MAA2018. This highly virulent strain was isolated in 2018 from the first melioidosis case in Israel associated with recreational travel to Goa, India. We report here the draft genome sequence of Burkholderia pseudomallei MAA2018. This highly virulent strain was isolated in 2018 from the first melioidosis case in Israel associated with recreational travel to Goa, India.
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Israeli M, Elia U, Rotem S, Cohen H, Tidhar A, Bercovich-Kinori A, Cohen O, Chitlaru T. Distinct Contribution of the HtrA Protease and PDZ Domains to Its Function in Stress Resilience and Virulence of Bacillus anthracis. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:255. [PMID: 30833938 PMCID: PMC6387919 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthrax is a lethal disease caused by the Gram-positive spore-producing bacterium Bacillus anthracis. We previously demonstrated that disruption of htrA gene, encoding the chaperone/protease HtrABA (High Temperature Requirement A of B. anthracis) results in significant virulence attenuation, despite unaffected ability of ΔhtrA strains (in which the htrA gene was deleted) to synthesize the key anthrax virulence factors: the exotoxins and capsule. B. anthracis ΔhtrA strains exhibited increased sensitivity to stress regimens as well as silencing of the secreted starvation-associated Neutral Protease A (NprA) and down-modulation of the bacterial S-layer. The virulence attenuation associated with disruption of the htrA gene was suggested to reflect the susceptibility of ΔhtrA mutated strains to stress insults encountered in the host indicating that HtrABA represents an important B. anthracis pathogenesis determinant. As all HtrA serine proteases, HtrABA exhibits a protease catalytic domain and a PDZ domain. In the present study we interrogated the relative impact of the proteolytic activity (mediated by the protease domain) and the PDZ domain (presumably necessary for the chaperone activity and/or interaction with substrates) on manifestation of phenotypic characteristics mediated by HtrABA. By inspecting the phenotype exhibited by ΔhtrA strains trans-complemented with either a wild-type, truncated (ΔPDZ), or non-proteolytic form (mutated in the catalytic serine residue) of HtrABA, as well as strains exhibiting modified chromosomal alleles, it is shown that (i) the proteolytic activity of HtrABA is essential for its N-terminal autolysis and subsequent release into the extracellular milieu, while the PDZ domain was dispensable for this process, (ii) the PDZ domain appeared to be dispensable for most of the functions related to stress resilience as well as involvement of HtrABA in assembly of the bacterial S-layer, (iii) conversely, the proteolytic activity but not the PDZ domain, appeared to be dispensable for the role of HtrABA in mediating up-regulation of the extracellular protease NprA under starvation stress, and finally (iv) in a murine model of anthrax, the HtrABA PDZ domain, was dispensable for manifestation of B. anthracis virulence. The unexpected dispensability of the PDZ domain may represent a unique characteristic of HtrABA amongst bacterial serine proteases of the HtrA family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ma'ayan Israeli
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Uri Elia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Shahar Rotem
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Hila Cohen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Avital Tidhar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Adi Bercovich-Kinori
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ofer Cohen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Theodor Chitlaru
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
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Chitlaru T, Israeli M, Rotem S, Elia U, Bar-Haim E, Ehrlich S, Cohen O, Shafferman A. A novel live attenuated anthrax spore vaccine based on an acapsular Bacillus anthracis Sterne strain with mutations in the htrA, lef and cya genes. Vaccine 2017; 35:6030-6040. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Israeli M, Rotem S, Elia U, Bar-Haim E, Cohen O, Chitlaru T. A Simple Luminescent Adenylate-Cyclase Functional Assay for Evaluation of Bacillus anthracis Edema Factor Activity. Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8:E243. [PMID: 27548219 PMCID: PMC4999859 DOI: 10.3390/toxins8080243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2016] [Revised: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Edema Factor (EF), the toxic sub-unit of the Bacillus anthracis Edema Toxin (ET) is a calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase whose detrimental activity in the infected host results in severe edema. EF is therefore a major virulence factor of B. anthracis. We describe a simple, rapid and reliable functional adenylate-cyclase assay based on inhibition of a luciferase-mediated luminescence reaction. The assay exploits the efficient adenylate cyclase-mediated depletion of adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP), and the strict dependence on ATP of the light-emitting luciferase-catalyzed luciferin-conversion to oxyluciferin, which can be easily visualized. The assay exhibits a robust EF-dose response decrease in luminescence, which may be specifically reverted by anti-EF antibodies. The application of the assay is exemplified in: (a) determining the presence of EF in B. anthracis cultures, or its absence in cultures of EF-defective strains; (b) evaluating the anti-EF humoral response in experimental animals infected/vaccinated with B. anthracis; and (c) rapid discrimination between EF producing and non-producing bacterial colonies. Furthermore, the assay may be amenable with high-throughput screening for EF inhibitory molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ma'ayan Israeli
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 74100, Israel.
| | - Shahar Rotem
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 74100, Israel.
| | - Uri Elia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 74100, Israel.
| | - Erez Bar-Haim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 74100, Israel.
| | - Ofer Cohen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 74100, Israel.
| | - Theodor Chitlaru
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 74100, Israel.
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